1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to motor vehicle body construction, and more particularly to side outer panel construction for an automobile or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The panel construction of a conventional automobile having center pillars, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a front door opening X' and a rear door opening Y' formed in a side panel Z'. The side panel Z' is constructed using welds, and includes a front pillar 1, a side roof rail 2, side sill 3 and a quarter panel 4, which together form an outer frame. Generally, the center pillar 5, which has at least a partially closed cross-section is connected between the side roof rail 2 and the side sill 3.
Such a construction necessitates that the side panel Z' be composed of a number of mechanical parts. As a result, the manufacturing costs are high, the mechanical strength of the connected parts is decreased, the weight of the side panel is substantially increased, and the mechanical accuracy of the door openings X' and Y' is decreased.